A LOT has been said about sex work and sex workers alike, and the many perceptions, including stigma and discrimination associated with it.

But according to Survival Advocacy Network (SAN) Fiji project co-ordinator and manager Sesenieli Naitala, what was needed now was action, constructive action that would benefit everyone involved in the industry.

Naitala, who preferred to be identified as a trans-masculine activist and sex worker in this interview with The Fiji Times, said sex work and particularly sex workers were viewed differently by many, and mostly badly.

All negative things are associated with them, from their sexuality, their dressing, their network of friends and especially crime.

She said the way society had developed a norm of stigmatisation and discrimination against sex workers, who were ordinary persons and as anybody else, would only do more harm than good.

All that, Naitala strongly believes, is a result of the criminalisation of sex work.

“Because of all the criminalisation associated with sex work, sex workers will fear exposing themselves. They will run away and hide underground and that is a dangerous situation when that happens,” Naitala tells this newspaper.

“These sex workers will even fear accessing health and legal services, getting their tests or most importantly coming out to collect their supply of contraceptives will be a more difficult thing to do.

“When that happens, that is the fear we have, which can lead to an increase in sexually-transmitted infections. And not only HIV and AIDS, there are other diseases like cancer, hepatitis and other infections.”

Naitala said that was the focus of the organisation she represented — SAN Fiji, which represented past and present sex workers, and transsexuals in the country.

For SAN Fiji, she said their focus was to empower sex workers and provide a safe environment, in forms of providing them condoms, training and awareness, easy and convenient access to health checks, even a hot meal and a shelter when needed.

At the national level, it is working alongside sister-organisations and other NGOs, in advocacy works for equal rights for the LGBTIQ community, including efforts to make a stand on decriminalising sex work.

This, Naitala said, was the key to eliminating stigma and discrimination, and sex work and workers would be allowed to work in a professional and safe manner.

When SAN Fiji was established, the committee found there was also stigma within the sex workers’ community, which it addressed by way of education, awareness and training, while most were utilised to conduct awareness and training in general communities around the country.

“We target them (sex workers) first, we educate them so they can be used to empower their peers, empower them to ensure they are tested often, to encourage each other and develop themselves to doing more than just being a sex worker.”

Perhaps, Naitala defines a sex worker, and perhaps sex work differently.

According to her, anyone who gives pleasure for something else in return is a sex worker. And does not only mean providing sexual pleasure but includes other services such as escorts to restaurants, events like cocktail functions, or a night out to the clubs, or provide personal entertainment.

“And we do it every day. Sex work is not only about getting money in return. Whether we provide sex to get grog, liquor, a gift, or whatever, we are doing sex work.”

Naitala said sex work was far from being totally “wiped away”.

Not as long as the demand for the industry exists.

“There is an industry out there. The demand is there, the clients are there and the sex workers are there.

“The industry can even be important for Fiji’s economy one day but it needs to be decriminalised so sex workers are able to work in a safe environment and provide a professional and safe service.”

For the organisation alone, it had a registered membership of 309 sex workers, all including women and transsexual men and women.

This, Naitala said, did not include an estimate of some other 500 sex workers existing between the Suva-Nausori corridor, and could number in the 1000 when roping in Nadi and Lautoka.

And all those estimates, she said had yet to include Sigatoka, Navua and Vanua Levu, particularly in Labasa.

Some continue to operate secretly to selected people of class only.

She said the numbers of sex workers in the country varied daily because there were those who would appear for a few days and disappear the next few weeks before they returned.

And most of those sex workers, Naitala said, operated underground fearing the law.

SAN Fiji used to contribute condoms, back during inception, to sex workers on the street — until it decided to expand its services and provide more than just condoms — training and awareness and to be involved in advocacy and empowerment.

It continues to do that today.

It had also signed a memorandum of understanding with Medical Services Pacific (MSP) for the provision of health, legal and counselling services to sex workers.

Sex workers also have other organisations in their hub they can seek services from as well.

Naitala says in this interview that it is their belief that by decriminalising sex work, not only will it automatically provide for a safe and professional work environment, it will also assist police and health workers a lot in the provision of their respective services when it involved a sex worker.

“Not only can society see them in a normal way too, opportunities will also open up for some sex workers to explore other careers and improve their standard of living.

“So a lot rests on that. We know this cannot be done overnight but it needs to be considered.

“There is a lot of fear among sex workers, and the stigma and discrimination against sex workers, will do more harm because it will drive them away.”

Naitala said at least according to them, they believed the youngest sex worker in the country would be 12 years old, and the oldest averaging slightly more than 50 years.

She added most sex workers, past and present, had now ventured into other businesses and areas of work and had earned a decent living for themselves.

Naitala said aside from normal counselling, they also accessed spiritual counselling from peers and some faith-based organisations.

She said as long as sex work was viewed in a bad light and not a service, then criminalisation and negative perceptions of sex workers would continue, and so would stigma and discrimination, which today had developed to hatred and violence.